Wave power project planned in California

Green Wave Energy Solutions LLC earlier this month completed a 60-day comment period on its proposal to harvest wave energy in 17 square miles of ocean a couple miles off Montana de Oro State Park on California's Central Coast.

"We’re one of the few (wave energy companies) that have received a 60-day comment period,” company president Wayne Burkamp said. “If it moves to the next level, we’ll get a temporary permit, then take a couple of years to get our project together.”

According to the company’s application, about 100 megawatts of power would be generated, enough to power 90,000 homes. But, according to industry trade publications, the size of such a system would have to be hugely overbuilt to produce that much electricity in such a punishing environment.

Prototype wave harvesters off Oregon, Washington, Hawaii and Portugal are currently producing two to three megawatts of power.

“Right now devices aren’t capable of producing that power,” Burkamp said, “but manufacturers are coming up with new technology. At some point, (the production of wave power) will become competitively priced.”